Lumina Foundation Donates $500,000 to Fill Educational Attainment Gaps

Governor Ralph Northam

The Lumina Foundation granted the state of Virginia $500,000 to increase educational attainment for students of color.

This grant, alongside other ones gifted to Colorado, Oregon and Tennessee are part of Lumina’s Talent, Innovation and Equity Partnership (TIE). Lumina expects to award grants to a total of six states.

TIE’s goal is to have 60 percent of Americans educated beyond high school by 2025. Currently, fewer than one-third of the nation’s Native American, Latinx and Black students have earned a degree beyond a high school diploma, Lumina reported.

Virginia aims to increase the number of Black and Latinx residents with college degrees by 5% over the next four years.

“As leaders, we have the responsibility to address the systemic racism that holds people back,” said Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. “It’s time to take action to right the wrongs that began in Virginia 400 years ago and this legacy continues in the form of lower educational achievement rates among students of color.”